Veteran Astronaut Scott Parazynski Joins Wyle Business Development Staff in Houston
El SEGUNDO, Calif., A former astronaut and veteran of five space shuttle flights has been named a director of business development for Wyle’s Integrated Science and Engineering Group based in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Scott Parazynski joins Wyle to assist in the company’s continued growth and diversification providing integrated science, engineering, and human health and performance services to the Federal Government. He will also assume the role of medical director for Wyle’s Antarctic operations including support of the National Science Foundation’s United States Antarctic Program. Wyle is competing for this program as a team member of Antarctic Research Support (ARS), a joint venture between CSC and EG&G.
“Scott brings extensive leadership, technical breadth and depth, and ‘hands on’ flight experience to assist Wyle as we grow our business,” said Bob Ellis, group president of Wyle’s Integrated Science and Engineering Group. “His strong leadership, background and qualifications will be a perfect complement to our highly skilled team. We’re delighted to have him on board.”
Parazynski was selected as a NASA Astronaut in March 1992 and is a veteran of five Space Shuttle flights. He has logged more than 1,381 hours in space including over 47 hours of extra-vehicular activity during seven spacewalks making him one of NASA’s most experienced spacewalkers. He has flown to the Russian space station, Mir, and the International Space Station, and in the aftermath of the Columbia tragedy, he was the Astronaut Office Lead for Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System Inspection and Repair.
In addition to Parazyinski’s extensive space flight experience, he is a commercial, multiengine and instrumented-rated pilot, a licensed physician, entrepreneur and mountaineer. He has scaled major mountains in the Alaska Range, the Cascades, the Rockies and the Andes and this spring, Parazynski will return to Everest with the intention of summiting the world’s highest peak.
Parazynski received his medical degree from Stanford University and was selected as a NASA Astronaut during his residency in emergency medicine. He is part of the adjunct faculty at Stanford Medical School, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and Auburn University’s College of Engineering. He has received numerous honors and awards including the Flight Achievement Award from the American Astronomical Association and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
Wyle is the prime contractor for two premier NASA Johnson Space Center contracts. Under the Bioastronautics Contract, Wyle provides medical operations, ground and flight research, space flight hardware development and fabrication, science and mission integration for flight, and habitability and environmental factors in support of the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, Constellation and Human Research programs. Under the Occupational Medicine and Occupational Health contract, Wyle provides clinical and occupational health care for NASA personnel and the astronaut corps.
Wyle, a privately held company, is a leading provider of high tech aerospace engineering and information technology services to the federal government on long-term outsourcing contracts. The company also provides life sciences services for NASA’s astronaut corps as well as mission critical support services and space simulation; test and evaluation of aircraft, weapon systems, networks, and other government assets; and other engineering services to the aerospace, defense, nuclear power, communications and transportation industries.
